Quote of the Day - R.I.P. "Americans Elect"

Paul Krugman on the flop that is/was "Americans Elect":

"...Americans Elect, a lavishly funded 'centrist' group that was supposed to provide an alternative to traditional political parties, has been a ridiculous flop. Basically, about seven people were actually excited about the venture — all of them political pundits. Actual voters couldn’t care less. [snip]

"So why Americans Elect? Because there exists in America a small class of professional centrists, whose stock in trade is denouncing the extremists in both parties and calling for a middle ground. And this class cannot, as a professional matter, admit that there already is a centrist party in America, the Democrats — that the extremism they decry is all coming from one side of the political fence. Because if they admitted that, they’d just be moderate Democrats, with no holier-than-thou pedestal to stand on." (my emphasis)

Somewhere, Tom Friedman is having a sad.

Krugman on the "Gullible Center"

Paul Krugman skewers "centrists'" (think Mustache of Understanding Tom Friedman and the WaPo editorial board, for example) Paul "Lyin'" Ryan cult:

"So, can we talk about the Paul Ryan phenomenon?

"And yes, I mean the phenomenon, not the man. Mr. Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee and the principal author of the last two Congressional Republican budget proposals, isn’t especially interesting. He’s a garden-variety modern G.O.P. extremist, an Ayn Rand devotee who believes that the answer to all problems is to cut taxes on the rich and slash benefits for the poor and middle class.

"No, what’s interesting is the cult that has grown up around Mr. Ryan — and in particular the way self-proclaimed centrists elevated him into an icon of fiscal responsibility, and even now can’t seem to let go of their fantasy."

Read the whole column.

Sunday. Krugman. Read It.

The Very Serious People, the "centrists" who bet wrong on linking deficit reduction to the debt ceiling vote, and what they don't understand about the "modern" Rethuglican party, all courtesy of Paul Krugman. Be sure to read the Jonathan Chait piece that PK links to in his blog, too. As Krugman has said before, they're "the cult that's destroying America."

BONUS: Even if our own lazy, cowardly, "both sides do it" media can't or won't call it honestly, the furrin (gasp!) press will.

The Problem With "Centrism"

(click to enlarge slightly)

The topic du jour: "centrists."

-- E.J. Dionne says moderation oui, centrism non!

-- Driftglass says "under what rock have you been?"

-- our hero Paul Krugman says they're a cult that's destroying America.

(Cartoon: Simpson)